


Primadonna of Gotham (2019 Version)

by peridotprincess



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DC Extended Universe, DCU (Comics), Justice League - All Media Types, Teen Titans - All Media Types, Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alien/Human Relationships, Broken Promises, Canon-Typical Violence, Crossover, Drama & Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-10
Updated: 2019-02-18
Packaged: 2019-10-24 21:28:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17711903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peridotprincess/pseuds/peridotprincess
Summary: "We are just two adopted rich kids with annoying younger siblings, but that does not mean we are getting back together anytime soon. You want to be like him, and focus on your city. And, last time I checked, you were into redheads and I'm just a measly brunette. You think that I need you, but in reality, you need me, Richard."The former lovers, Jade and Richard now must band together to reunite the rest of Teen Titans and the Team to save the planet. No one can really tell if they want to rip each other's throats out or rip each other's clothes off.  Will the Last Flying Grayson and Primadonna of Gotham finally fix what was broken between them?





	1. The Gala

**Author's Note:**

> This is the updated, new and improved, version of "Primadonna of Gotham", my popular 2016/2017 book. This year, my goal is to rewrite every single of my major stories to show my improvement in all kinds of writing skills. Thank you for joining me on my writing journey and I hope you enjoy this story!

****

**1.15.21 | Gotham City, NJ | Gotham City Museum**

        A sleek, black limousine pulls up in front of the large museum as cameras flash and paparazzi chatter about Gotham's aristocrats. A balding chauffeur opens the back door for one of the gala's most prominent, yet controversial guests. She squints her emerald eyes and sighs out annoyingly due to the rather irritating nature of the paparazzi  _and_  reporters. The brunette knew  _damn_  well what they wanted to ask considering how nosy they were to every aspect of her life, especially of what man occupied her bed. 

        She slowly exits the limo while moving her straightened hair behind her shoulders and moves her hand to shield her eyes from the blinding lights. Microphone after microphone is being shoved in her face as she tries not to cringe in disgust and utter annoyance. Part of Jade despised showing up to appearances considering the media did not understand the concept of privacy and personal space. However, her mother insisted that she should come to show support to their family name. A request that Jade simply could not ignore, even if she would end up miserable in the process.

 _"_ _Ms. Henningson, where's your **date**?!"_

_"Excuse me, but where is your **boyfriend**? You know, Bruce Wayne's ward!"_

_"Yeah, where is he? Have you guys broken up? Tell us **all** the details."_

        The brunette shook her head while giving the cameramen a small smile. She leans towards one of the microphones and finally replies to the multitude of questions. "If  _he_  is not my date to the gala, do you really think we are still together?

        Jade lets out a small giggle as she walks away from the mess of microphones and cameras. It was almost amusing to see them fuss over what her one question meant. The glass doors are opened by the two guards as she makes her way into the large building. Piano music and the chatter of guests fill her ears as she looks at the heavily decorated ballroom. This had been her world for her whole life yet she still felt an uneasy sensation in her stomach every time she attended a ball or gala. Maybe finding out where her father was would ease that feeling, even if it was a small amount of relief. 

        Jade then felt a strong grip on her left arm and she turns her head to tell off whoever thought they were comfortable enough to grab her like that. As she looks to her side, she recognizes a familiar woman. Someone who was not even a threat to her (depending on the situation). The woman wore her striking black hair in an updo and a royal blue dress that complimented her eyes. "Diana, I was not expecting you to be here."

        "I honestly did not have anything better to do tonight, so I decided to attend this little event. The real question is, why are you here if you look so miserable?" Diana reassuringly pats Jade's arm and takes a quick sip of red wine from her glass.

        "My mother would most likely make me feel extremely guilty for not showing up, or at least give me a tongue lashing in Spanish."

        Diana then raises an eyebrow as she swirls the remaining red liquid in her glass. "And, where is the other pea to your pod?"

        Even though it was not physical, Jade could feel a sharp pain in her chest. A mixture of anger and sadness erupted from where she had buried it months ago. It was not anger or sadness towards Diana but towards  _him_. Their relationship was not a rollercoaster, it was the whole  _damn_  amusement park. At times it was a lazy river, gentle and relaxing. Other times it was a rollercoaster, intense and exciting. However, this breakup was the dangerous ride that never received maintenance. The only possibility would be for things to go horribly wrong.

        After a short sigh, the brunette finally replies to Diana, "We broke up months ago because according to him, our lives were going in completely different paths. I thought everything was going well until he came to my apartment, clearly pissed off. He argued with me and pointed out how impulsive and irresponsible I was. Then he grabbed his keys and stormed out. That was the last time we spoke. Especially since I had been gone back to Eturn after my birthday..."

        "Relationships can be difficult and you are still very young. You are barely turning 20 this June. You have so much time in the world to find the right person." Diana reassuringly pats Jade on the arm and gives her a small smile. "I should get going. Make sure to take care of yourself."

        Jade gives Diana a quick nod and the dark-haired woman disappears into the crowd. Soon after the brunette feels a pair of small arms wrap around her waist. She looks down to see her younger sister, Rosa, grinning at her. Jade cannot help but smile back at the cheery 7-year-old. 

        "What are you doing?" Jade gives her sister a small laugh and leans down to return the hug. "And, when did you get so tall?"

        "I haven't seen you for a long time. Oh! Dad is also looking for you. He seemed a little mad that you weren't here yet..." Rosa replies as she plays with the tulle fabric of her yellow dress.

        "Okay, but when is Dad  _not_  mad at me?" Jade laughs softly and moves a strand of hair behind Rosa's ear. 

        The little moment between the two sisters is interrupted by their fuming father, George. He storms over to the two girls with his fists clenched. Right behind him is his wife, Sophia, and their youngest child clutching his mother's dress. Jade rolls her eyes and crosses her arms as she waits to be scolded.

        "Jade Henningson, where have you been?" George glares down on his daughter while slowly unclenching his fists.

        "I was at my apartment getting ready to come here."

        "You were supposed to be here at seven and it's nearly eight thirty!"

        "I am an hour and a half late, how unfortunate. I could have decided to not show up at all, yet here I am. Be proud of that and stop yelling at me." Jade rolls her eyes and uncrosses her arms.

        Ever since George had taken responsibility for protecting and caring for Jade five years ago, he was always one to be protective and a little harsh. Of course, he loved her as much as his biological children, but she was always more of a handful. George had every right to be hard on her considering her recent history as Gotham's new party girl.

        "Next time, can you please get here when I tell you to?" George slowly calms down and Jade nods.

        "Although I may be quite stubborn and aggressive, we can still talk things out as adults because I am one, Dad..."

        "How about we get out of your hair, mija?" Sophia plants a soft kiss on her daughter's cheek.

        "Only if you want to, mama." The brunette gives her mother a smile and Sophia nods.

        "How about we spend time together next week. We haven't seen you in over six months..."

        "That would be great." Jade nods and looks around the room. "I'm going to go mingle, or at least  _try_  to enjoy my time here."

        Sophia and George nod in unison and walk off along with Jade's two younger siblings. The uneasy feeling in her stomach had faded away, even though she spent a short amount of time with her family. Now she had to find a way to survive the rest of the night.

* * *

        Dick looks around the room and sighs out softly. It was not that he did not enjoy socializing, but he was not particularly in the mood to go out tonight. Alas, Bruce had insisted on him coming to this charity event since the public had not heard or seen the oldest Wayne brother in a while.

        As his deep blue eyes scan over the various guests he spots someone in a rich red dress. Among the sea of people, he could still recognize her curvaceous figure and dark brown hair. A voice in his head told him to leave her alone because he caused enough damage. However, another part of him still desired to talk to her at least make eye contact.  _Screw it,_ he thought. She was the only person he was in the mood to talk to anyways. 

        Dick makes his way through the crowd until he is right behind the brunette. On the other hand, Jade was hoping and praying that she did not run into her ex-boyfriend. She already did not want to be here and the thought of running into someone she did not want to see either, made her prematurely annoyed. 

        "Oh, look at who decided to show up..." Dick finally speaks and Jade flinches in surprise.

_God dammit._

        The brunette turns around to face her ex-boyfriend and tries her absolute best not to grimace at his presence. "If it weren't for Sophia, I would still be at home. Although, I am wondering why you showed up. I would think you were  _occupied_ with someone else..."

        Both Jade and Dick had dabbled in some romance after their breakup, but neither of them received what they needed or wanted. Perhaps it was the people themselves, or maybe it was the expectations (good and bad) from the last relationship ruining everything.

        "I have not spoken to either of  _them_  in a while if that's what you're wondering... I thought you would bring a date."

        "No one has caught my eye as of late." Jade fidgets with her gold bracelets and looks away from Dick.

        His ocean blue eyes were almost making her blush. After half a decade of knowing each other, his appearance and charisma always made her trip over herself. He was like a magnet, no matter how rocky the road was, she was always attracted to him. However, this time she wanted to  **avoid**  the possibility of getting back together with him.  

        "Well, it is quite difficult finding someone when the last person you had was... perfect."

        Before Jade could answer his question, the sound of a utensil clinking against a glass sounded, signaling the start of someone's speech. Everyone turned their heads to the podium to listen to the host's speech. "I would like to thank everyone in attendance to this gala to bring more of the Arts to not only this museum..." Bruce's voice fades away as Jade begins to stare at Dick.

        He most likely realized that she was looking at him up and down, but she could care less. She could not help but admire his flawlessly sculpted features, especially his sharp jawline and prominent cheekbones. She loved how his black hair was slicked back and how his long eyelashes framed his striking blue eyes. Not to mention his pink lips looked  _extremely_  kissable at the moment. 

        Jade was snapped out of her trance as Dick turns his head to her wearing a smirk. Her cheeks slowly start to turn red as she quickly turns her head. Was she lying to herself earlier that she did not want to see him? When really, she  _did_ want to at least take a glance. Their relationship did end on bad terms, but there was no harm in having a little fun. She felt as if she could not be around him, but she wanted,  _needed_ , to be around him.

        The brunette starts to rush out of the museum hoping not to repeat any past mistakes. He had already made her blush twice and made her heart beat out of her chest. Only this human man from a crime-ridden city had ever made her feel this way. She rushes out of the entrance and pulls out her phone to contact her chauffeur. 

        As she dials his number, she begins to shiver. While rushing to get ready to meet up her family at the gala, she somehow managed to forget to bring a coat... in January... while living on the east coast. Jade puts her cell phone up to her ear as her teeth begin to chatter.

        "Do you need this?" Dick appears from behind her and offers her his suit jacket. 

        "I managed to forget to wear a coat in the peak of winter," Jade replies as she talks to her chauffeur on the phone. "Wait, did you follow me?

        "The real question is why you were staring me down during Bruce's speech." Dick chuckles as he takes off his jacket and wraps it around her shoulders. 

        "I plead the fifth... And, you don't need to give me your jacket if my limo is coming in a couple of minutes. You and your chivalry..." Jade shakes her head and places her phone back in her clutch. 

        "Before you leave, there is something I do want to talk to you about."

        The uneasy feeling in her stomach returns as soon as he says that. She assumes that he wanted to talk about their relationship, a topic that she would rather talk about another time. However, the topic at hand was something completely different, yet something else Jade wanted to avoid.

        "I don't know if anyone has told you yet, but some of the League's members have been mysteriously disappearing. We're all on high alert and Bruce asked me to talk to the Titans to help, that includes you. Especially since were are some of the most active members, even if you don't affiliate with any of us anymore..."

        "I don't... I don't want to help if I have to work with the others. Many of my relationships with team members are not exactly great right now. Part of it was me and part of it was them. I am not sure if I could do this, even though this is urgent."

        "I know that your relationships with people aren't great right now, but feelings aside, we make a good team when we work together. Things could get messy, I am not going to lie about that. However, we defeated evils and figured out mysteries even when we're bumping heads."

        Jade does not immediately reply and starts to think about what she wants to do. Right now, she wants to avoid all the superhero and vigilante business and just focus on school. Or, just to avoid making contact with any more ex-friends or ex-boyfriends. She knew that the team as a whole could solve the mystery, but she was not ready  _yet._

        "I will consider it, but... that doesn't guarantee that I will help or know how to help." Jade finally replies and hands Dick his jacket back as she sees her limousine pull up to the entrance. 

        Dick nods as he grabs his jacket from her hands. The chauffeur opens the back door and Jade sits on the leather seats of the vehicle, not breaking eye contact with her former lover. She looks away as the chauffeur closes the door and makes his way to the driver's seat. Dick looks down at his suit jacket and sighs out softly.  _That was not the only thing he wanted to talk about_. 


	2. Guilt Trip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was published on February 18th, 2019.

 

 

 

 

 

 

**1.16.21 | Gotham City, NJ | Golden Swan Condos**

        It is like any other Saturday in her condo. No work to do from college. No friends to around to ask to hang out. And, most notably importantly, no boyfriend to swoon after. There is nothing planned unless partying then getting drunk out of her mind is considered a decent plan. If so, she had an itinerary for the day. 

        Jade lazily lounges on the couch while staring at the white ceiling. The radio or television was never turned on, so she is sitting in complete silence with her thoughts. She is deep in her thoughts about what Dick had said the day before.  _The Justice League. The Titans. Working together._ There were  **many**  reasons why she returned to her home planet of Eturn... to get away from the mess that was left on Earth. Now, as soon as she came back, her ex-boyfriend comes bursting into her life telling her to mend friendships for the sake of the team. The good part of her was telling her to do so; even if her friendships were not mended, it was her responsibility. The bad part of her just wanted to be petty; the rest of the Titans seemed to get along fine without her. _Why_  would they need her help now?

        Her thoughts are interrupted by her cell phone ringing and she sighs out in annoyance. Jade reaches over to the glass coffee table and picks up the ringing phone. She looks at the screen to see "Victor" is bold, white letters.  _At least it is someone I don't hate._  The brunette presses the green button to answer and places the phone next to her ear. 

        "Hey, Vic. What's up?"

        "Hey, Jade. I am just calling to check if Grayson told you the news about the missing League members." 

        Jade rolls her eyes and sits up more on the couch. She knows that she probably should not have answered. Who knows how many of her former teammates were going to convince her to come back. And, for now, she was too stubborn to even step foot in any of the heroes' bases, including Titan Tower. 

        "Listen, I clearly heard what he said and right now, I am not going to help anyone. I am not rejoining that mess of a team. The Titans were fun while it lasted, but now I would rather die again than see half of my former teammates. I think that you and whoever else has got reuniting the team under control. I'm just going to be out of that equation." Jade quickly hangs up the phone before Victor can answer and throws the device back onto the table. 

        She did  **not**  want connections with most of the Titans. Only a select few even came close to being her close friend and when all the chaos went down, she severed connections with too many of them. There was no use to dwell on the past anyway, even if the pain and guilt were still present. Her thoughts are interrupted once again by a sharp knock on her front door. 

        Jade quickly stands up and quickly shapeshifts into her human form and closes her robe. As well as hiding her true identity, she also did not want anyone seeing her unmentionables. She unlocks both of the locks and slowly opens the door to see...  _Dick_. The brunette rolls her eyes and sighs out in annoyance. He was back to most likely repeat the same exact thing he mentioned to her the night before.

        "What do you want, Dick?" She leans against the door frame and slightly glares at her ex-boyfriend.

        "I... We really need your help getting the Titans back together. I know that you can be stubborn, but we both know that you at least want to help a little. After all of this is done, I promise that I will leave you alone and ask everyone else to do so too." Dick gives Jade a frown as he uncrosses his arms. "And, you always used to call me by my full name."

        "I'm going to stop you right there. I clearly remember saying that I would consider rejoining the team. Now being bugged a  _third_  time by a former teammate, the chances of me helping you guys is getting slimmer by the second. And, please... Please do  **not**  bring up any relationship issues when you were the one to break up with me. Now, if you don't have any more bullshit to tell me, you may leave and forever hold your peace." Jade glares at her ex-boyfriend and develops the strong urge just to slam the door in his face.

        Dick sighs and rubs his face before replying, "Just please help us. I apologize for bothering you again, but this isn't just something we ignore..."

        Jade rolls her eyes and bites her lip while thinking. Of course, she wants to help; it was her obligation ever since she had become a superhero/vigilante, but it hurt too much to see the faces of people who tore her apart. "It's very difficult for me to just disregard my emotions... but, as I said before, I will consider it. Until then, I would like to be left alone unless it's unrelated to this whole mission..."

        The dark haired man nods and waves her goodbye. Jade closes the door and slides down onto her bottom. She  _knew_  what her responsibilities were... Missing League members just rubbed her the wrong way. Jade  _knew_  what she had to do, but thinking about the pain was almost unbearable. Especially considering Dick. Jade understood that she wasn't perfect, yet she tried to be the best girlfriend she could. It wasn't enough. She wanted to pick up and leave Gotham for good, however, four people who shared the last name and a former Boy Wonder were keeping her hostage. No matter how shitty Gotham was, it was her home that she could not give up on. 

* * *

**3 Years Ago**

        The brunette tosses and turns in her bed trying to fall asleep. Her schoolwork had been stressing her out and her brain always seemed to bring up uncomfortable memories when she tried to sleep. When she starts to succumb to her tiredness, she hears a soft tapping at her window. She sighs out in annoyance even though the person on the other side of the window was someone she enjoyed seeing.

        Jade climbs out of the comfortable bed and trails over to the large window. She unlocks the window and pushes it up then smiles at her boyfriend. Dick wore a mischievous grin as he knelt on the small balcony outside of the window. 

        "You are so silly. It is nearly eleven at night, Richard. I am trying to sleep. You  _know_  how much I love to sleep." She laughs softly before leaning over the window sill and placing a soft kiss on Dick's lips.

        "I am aware of what time it is, but come on! It is literally a Friday night and you're staying in... again. We could go to the beach or the carnival... It'll be my treat." Dick gives her a quick wink before tucking a strand of curly, brown hair behind her ear.

        Jade rolls her eyes and sighs out in defeat."Fine, but promise to get me home before three. My parents will freak if they found out that I sneaked out... Especially with you." 

        The brunette goes over to her closet and grabs a pair of jeans and knee high boots. She slips the denim over her leggings and slips her boots right over the jeans. Finally, she grabs her beige winter coat and buttons it up. Jade grabs her phone and tucks into the pocket of her jeans then heads back over to the window. Dick had already climbed down to the dead grass under her balcony with his arms open to catch her.

        She climbs out of the window and onto the small balcony then trustingly takes the leap towards her lover. A few seconds later she is safe in the brunet's arms. Jade was scared every single time they did this, but she always knew she would end up safe in his arms. "You can put me down now." 

        "If it were up to me, I would never do that, but since you asked." Dick gently places her down onto the grass and pecks her cheek. "Now, we have a romantic walk to go on..."

**|||**

        "So, what are your plans for your eighteenth?" Jade asks while gently holding Dick's hand.

        "Hopefully spending time with you, but the boys somehow convinced me to throw a house party at the Tower."

        "If anything, Gar and Vic only want you to throw a party at the tower for themselves. They literally blackout from drinking sodas." Jade laughs softly and squeezes her boyfriend's hand.

        "I think that you figured it out... Although, I feel like you are a bigger party animal than Gar and Vic combined." 

        "How did you come to that conclusion?" Jade looks over at Dick and raises her eyebrow.

        "I have my ways..."

**|||**

        Jade climbs back into her bedroom through the window and turns around to say goodbye to her boyfriend. He leans forward and places a long kiss on her plump lips before giving her a large grin. "I feel like Romeo being on your balcony every weekend..."

        "Hm, as long as our story doesn't end like there's, I am completely fine with late night balcony visits." 

        "Can I sleep over tonight?" Dick suggestively raises his eyebrow and Jade shakes her head.

        "I already risked it with sneaking out with you tonight, I am not going to have you sleep with me in my bed. That's unless you are prepared to deal with the wrath of my mother in the morning."

        "I think I can handle that for a couple of minutes."

        "The wrath of a Latina mother is something you  **never**  want to deal with, silly." Jade softly kisses his cheek and sighs out softly."Goodnight, Bird Boy."

        "Well, goodnight to you too." Dick gives her a warm smile and another long kiss. 

        When they part lips, Jade almost feels breathless. Even after two years of knowing each other, he still knew how to take her breath away and make her heart beat out of her chest. She hoped that they never left the honeymoon phase of their relationship. She did not mind feeling like she was floating on clouds for years to come.  _If only_  she knew what was to come in those next few years.

* * *

**Present Day**

        Jade runs her thumb along the red 'T' engraved on the circular communicator. After the Titans had split, she wanted to throw this device against a wall out of anger and frustration. However, something inside of her told her to keep it for memories sake. To remember those who used to be her friends, but mostly to remember the dark-haired hero that still made her heart beat faster whenever they made eye contact.

        She puts the communicator back in the drawer she hid it in and throws her body onto the firm mattress of her bed. Jade had a busy Sunday and she was going to need all the sleep she could get. The brunette had a club to manage and an interview with a specific red-haired reporter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My goal is to update every Friday/Saturday/Sunday, depending on my schedule. Of course, do not be afraid to leave a comment predicting what will happen next, your thoughts on the characters, or even just to chat. I love interacting with my readers. 


	3. Fine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A redhead reporter makes a quick visit to the Primadonna and Dick finally convinces his former lover to join the mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was published on February 22, 2019.

**1.17.21 | Gotham City, NJ | Trinity Nightclub**

             Shiny black heels make contact with the concrete sidewalk as the reporter makes her way towards the glowing sign. She folds her arms over her chest trying to contain as much warmth as she can in the cold of the Gotham winter. Not only that, but she was highly alert to her surroundings considering she was in one of the most dangerous cities on the east coast, if not the most dangerous. Even in the nicest of neighborhoods in Gotham, one would have to be extremely vigilant to what was around them. 

        Lois finally reaches the large nightclub and reads the sign above the metal and glass doors. In cursive neon purple "Trinity" is spelled out. It was the name of the nightclub that a spoiled daughter had owned for almost two years. Lois spots the bouncer and she is immediately terrified by his appearance. His head is shaved, intricate tattoos cover both of his arms up to his neck, and he wears a stoic expression. The redhead  _knew_  damn well that Jade could defend the whole nightclub with her bare hands, she had fought alongside several well-known heroes. However, Lois understood that to keep her cover as a naive and drunken party girl, having security would be a necessity.

        Lois walks over to the tall man and hands him a lavender ticket from her deep pocket. He observes the silver lettering on the paper and darts his eyes between the ticket and the petite woman. Finally, he opens the door and Lois goes into the club. Her ears are filled with the booming bass of the music and her nose is gifted with the smell of the lavender. She runs her hand along the purple velvet of the wall then starts to find her way to the VIP area. 

        Lois walks along the black tiling and has the urge to cover her ears from the loud music surrounding her from every angle. Finally, she spots the red velvet rope separating one area from the rest of the club. There was only  _one_  staircase leading up to the second floor of the club. She spots Jade holding a bottle of vodka while being surrounded by a small group of people. Lois knew that she was another year off of being able to drink, but the rich and famous could truly get away with anything, especially something as small as underage drinking.

        The reporter walks up to another bouncer and breathes in softly."I am Lois Lane from the Daily Planet and I am here to interview Ms. Henningson."

        The bouncer raises his eyebrow then speaks lowly into his walkie talkie. The bouncer on the second floor whispers something into Jade's ear and the brunette looks down at Lois. Her glare sends a shiver down Lois' spine. There was only one way to describe Jade: terrifyingly beautiful. The redhead never understood how other humans could not notice that Jade, Clark, and other aliens were not human considering their otherworldly beauty. Even though she was quite stunning, Lois knew the brunette could end someone's life with little to no hesitation. With her bare hands, her powers, and even several weapons. 

        Jade whispers back to the bouncer nearby and the bouncer in front of Lois finally replies, "She said that you can go up." He moves the red velvet rope and Lois makes her way up the dark stairs.

        She finally makes it to the top of the stairs and Jade has dismissed her entourage. Jade turns around and places the bottle of alcohol on the glass table. "What do you want? I do not have anything going on right now for you to interview me, so I am going to assume that you are going to ask about the missing members."

        "That's true..." Lois nods and nervously bites her lip.  _She already caught on_.

        Jade moves her dark brown ponytail behind her shoulder and sits on the plush white couch. "This is the fourth time that I am being bothered within the last three days. I am not exactly thrilled." She rolls her green eyes and plays with a stray curl.

        "I could just leave..."

        "No, you can stay if you like. If you actually need a story from me, you can just do it now."

        "Of course... Um... Do you have any tips for traveling?"

        "Do you want the honest answer or the answer that doesn't reveal my superhero persona." Jade laughs and picks up a glass cup then takes a quick sip of alcohol.

* * *

**1.18.21 | Gotham City, NJ | Golden Swan Condos**

        Various blows land on the punching bag one after the other. Jade wanted to use her full strength considering how she was being bothered lately, but then the bag would have flown across the room already. It was a relief that no one else was in the community gym. No older women to bug her about her father's company. No men trying to flirt with her even though she had rejected them  _multiple_  times. Although, not many people in the building would ever need the gym. When they had money at their disposal, a little injection or a little cut would give them their desired looks.

        It was not like she talked to many people in the building. They were either out of her age group or even just annoying to deal with. That was why she bought the penthouse suite; barely anyone lived on the very top floor, so it was quiet and peaceful. If only her life as a whole could be as calming as the floor she lived on.

        The brunette stops punching the bag and wipes the sweat off of her forehead with the back of her hand. She grabs her metal water bottle and takes a large swig. Jade then grabs her pink and back gym bag then starts to exit the large room. As soon as she exits the gym she hears rapid, yet strong footsteps behind her. Jade grabs onto the handle of her water bottle ready to knock out whoever was trying to scare or attack her. 

         "I'd figure that you would be here..." Dick smirks as he stops walking behind her.

        "I almost hit you over the head with this." Jade wiggles the metal bottle in her hand and turns around to glare at him. "If you ask me about the team one more  **damn**  time."

        "Just listen to me, please." Dick sighs out softly and rubs his forehead. "I know that things have been tense between the team, and especially between us, but I really trust you. We work together well and I want to this over with as quickly as you do. Please just help us with this and I promise that I and the rest of the team will also leave you alone."

        Jade taps her foot and moves her hair behind her shoulders. She was getting quite annoyed with the constant bothering. In all honesty, she just wanted to get this whole thing over with, so she might as well help. "Fine, I will help, as long as you keep your promises."

        "I promise to not... break my promise." Dick chuckles under his breath then shakes his head."We can start here in Gotham, then move onto Jump City to find more allies."

        "I can do that, but I am just going to remind that  **nothing**  will happen between us during this whole mission. No romance. No sex. Just the mission."

        "I completely understand and accept that."

        "If that's so, you can stop staring at me like I'm a piece of fresh meat." Jade rolls her eyes and continues her walk down the hallway.

        "I can't help myself when you're wearing a sports bra and sweating everywhere!" Dick shouts behind her and tucks his hands into the pockets of his pants.

        Jade rolls her eyes while she scoffs and presses the up button on the elevator. Dick  _knew_  that he promised not to have anything sexual or romantic with Jade, but it was quite hard to do so. Especially now considering the way her black leggings hugged the curves of her bottom. He was going to have a hard time controlling himself on this mission.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! Okay, I am updating more often than I thought I would, which is a good thing (because that is one of my goals for this year). I apologize for these last two chapters for being a little bit short. I am really trying to rewrite scenes to the best of my ability. Even with the added dialogue and details, it still manages to be a little short. I'll try to hit 2,000 words from now on for each chapter.  
> 
> ~🍒

**Author's Note:**

> Don't be shy to leave a comment (and a kudos). I enjoy talking to my readers and I am happy to answer any questions regarding the plot or the characters (as long as it's not a spoiler). Stay tuned for the next chapter (and subscribe to be e-mailed when I update).
> 
> ~ 🍒


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